Commerce & Industry Ministry FDI Policy Document Released

The Commerce and Industry Ministry on Wednesday released the next edition of its consolidated foreign direct investment (FDI) policy document, incorporating all the changes made over the past year. According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the new circular has come into effect from October 15. The consolidated policy is a compilation of various decisions taken by the government with regard to FDI in different sectors. DPIIT, which deals with FDI related matters, compiles all policies related to foreign investment regime into a single document to make it simple and easy for investors to understand. Investors would otherwise have to go through various press notes issued by the department, and the RBI regulations to understand the policy. The whole exercise is aimed at providing an investor-friendly climate to foreign players and, in turn, attract more FDI to boost economic growth and create jobs. The government has liberalised FDI policy in several sectors, including coal mining, digital news, contract manufacturing and single brand retail trading. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India has increased by 16 per cent year-on-year to USD 27.1 billion during April-August this year.